By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have split into camps as each jostle to position its candidate for the party’s presidential ticket.

ThisNigeria learnt yesterday that no fewer than three influential APC state governors from the North-West and South-West as well as other top party officials have relocated to London to put pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to favour their candidates.

While some are said to be lobbying for the presidential aspiration of the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, others are on a mission to press for the presidential bids of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has also reportedly gone to London to meet with Buhari. Some corporate Nigerians, according to sources, have gone for the same mission of projecting the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, as their preferred choice.

This came just as a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) restrained the APC from proceeding with its planned national convention slated for March 26 until the case against the party pending before the court is heard and determined.

In suit number FHC/HC/CV/2958/2021, the claimant, Salisu Umoru, dragged the APC, Chairman Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the court to challenge the planned convention.

The plaintiff, in the motion number FCT/HC/M/9655/21, prayed the court for an order interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants, allies, agency, representative, associates, or whoever is acting for them through or through them from organising, holding or conducting the national convention of the APC before or after pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

Justice Bello Kawu had after listening to counsel to the matter granted the order and restrained the party from going ahead with the convention and also warned that the subject matter of the case is now subjudice and must not be tampered with.

Meanwhile, a contempt application has been filed before the court against the March 26 national convention of the party.

The claimant informed the court that the mere inauguration of sub-committees for the March 26 national convention when the order of the honourable court is in force is a demonstration of disdain for the rule of law in the country.

While March 30 was fixed for the continuation of the hearing of the substantive suit, no date has been fixed for the commencement of contempt proceedings against the APC.

•Proxies of aspirants put pressure on Buhari in London
Apart from Tinubu, who has declared his interest in the number one job, Osinbajo, Amaechi, and Emefiele had yet to openly make their positions known but their groups have been actively consulting across the country.

Even though Emefiele has not thrown his hat into the wind, it is widely believed that he is in the race as his posters have flooded major cities all over the country. Top business moguls and others have relocated to London to put pressure on President to discuss Emefiele’s presidential bid. It was learnt that the CBN governor himself has also travelled to London to meet the President.

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ThisNigeria learnt that two governors from the North-West and one from the South-West who relocated to London have specifically gone to put pressure on the President in favour of their candidates.

“I can confirm that the governors are in London to meet with the President,” he simply said.

Meanwhile Malami, it was learnt, has also arrived in London to meet with Buhari.

The trip is coming in the wake of reports that the APC National Leader, Tinubu; and some top corporate Nigerians are mounting pressures on the party to ensure that their candidates emerge as the APC flagbearer in 2023.

The source, however, could not be confirmed last night whether Emefiele had himself arrived in the UK capital or not.

It was also gathered that, ahead of his London trip, Buni’s letter, which faulted Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai’s narratives on how Buni was removed as chairman of CECPC), was leaked.

An anonymous source disclosed that the APC crisis has shifted to London, with Buni struggling for survival.

On Emefiele, a source said: “His mission was to brief the president on developments on the economy, particularly the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war on our earnings, as well as the resultant huge subsidy on fuel.”

Another said: “Emefiele might discuss his perceived presidential ambition with Buhari, given the Senate’s rejection of President Buhari’s request to amend a Section of the new Electoral Act, which precludes appointed officials of government from voting or being voted for at primaries of political parties, unless they resign.”

Recall that in February, there was a coded movement within like-minded governors within the ruling APC and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the business community to push for the candidacy of a neutral south-south person, preferably, a technocrat in the 2023 presidential election.

Several names were put on the plate but Emefiele was top on the list as he was said to possess all the qualities the group wanted in the next President of Nigeria.

The meeting was packaged by Nduka Obaigbena, an Emefiele ally and media business mogul at the behest of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, held in Lagos with a code name ‘Who’s Who.’

Meanwhile, Malami is expected, according to sources, to discuss some constitutional and legal issues with Buhari, but it was learnt too that he has his preferred presidential that he wants to discuss with the President.

Following the crisis in the party, various camps have emerged with each projecting its presidential and national chairmanship aspirants.

Tinubu had over the weekend sounded a note of the advice that the APC must be fair and democratic in its outlook and dealings so that it does not “become like other parties”.

The presidential aspirant said the party would be able to make more impact on the country if its internal processes were democratic.

Tinubu’s comment came in the wake of the controversial leadership change in the ruling party.

Apart from the much-shifted national convention, Tinubu’s fears that the party may slide further has further been amplified by an allegation that some members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have been trying to ‘impose’ a senator as national chairman of the party on members.

A group, APC Youth Development, and Solidarity Forum, which made the allegation, warned that the party may implode if such imposition takes place.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the group accused the governors of embarking on a selfish mission ahead of the 2023 presidential poll.